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Smart Meter Accuracy

Robert Garrett

We have a strange situation with a flat we own. The flat was empty while being decorated (by us) for 3 weeks. We know we used very little power. Yet the bill we got for that period was much higher than we would have expected.

The electricity supplier suggested we turned the power off for 15 mins and take the meter reading before and after to see if it was showing use. However, the meter readings only seem to be whole kWh so it would need to be a big fault to see a change in 15 mins. This aligned with what the smart meter console shows which is about 300W.

Instead we switched it to show Amps used and with the main circuit breakers off it showed about 1.3A. If this use was all day that would be 7kwh per day. Over 3 weeks this would be 10 times the actual bill we got. 

So this makes no sense. Why would a meter show use with the breakers off? And why would that use vary which can be the only explanation for the bill not being as high as an extrapolation of that 15mins suggest?

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    If you can see all the wires from the meter to the consumer unit(s), all the way along, then check that you aren't powering something else besides the main consumer unit.  That's a lot more difficult if the meter tails disappear into the fabric of the building, and pop out again somewhere else.

    If it's a communal meter cupboard, do a sanity test.  Most meters have a flashing light to give an indication of the power being used.  Turn off everything you can, then get someone to turn on a high power appliance, such as a kettle, while someone else watches the meter.  The change of flash rate should be very obvious.  It's all too common for meters to be muddled up in a block of flats.

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    If you can see all the wires from the meter to the consumer unit(s), all the way along, then check that you aren't powering something else besides the main consumer unit.  That's a lot more difficult if the meter tails disappear into the fabric of the building, and pop out again somewhere else.

    If it's a communal meter cupboard, do a sanity test.  Most meters have a flashing light to give an indication of the power being used.  Turn off everything you can, then get someone to turn on a high power appliance, such as a kettle, while someone else watches the meter.  The change of flash rate should be very obvious.  It's all too common for meters to be muddled up in a block of flats.

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